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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




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Miss Margaret S. Hughes. 






LETTER 

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CHRISTOPHER HUGHES 



Tlie Hon. Joseph R. Ingeisoll. 

AN OFFERING TO THE 



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ij Academy of the Fine Arts, i \ 

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OF 

Miss Margaret Smith Hughes, 

Narrating the loss of the packet ship Poland, on her 
way from New York to Havre, 16 May, 1840. 

AN OFFERING TO THE 

i3enn»2lbanfa ^caUemg of tl)e JFine ^rts, 

FROM 

CHRISTOPHER HUGHES. 







Entered according to tlie Act of Congress, in tlie year 1845, 

Br Christopher Hughes, 

In tlie Clerk's Office of tlie District Court of Maryland. 



DEDICATION. 

TO 
MY BELOVED OLD MASTER, 

JOHN QUmCY ADAMS: 

If there be a Man, whom I honour and 
venerate — "Thou art the Man." Let this 
be my testimonial. 

If there be a Man — entitled to the Love 
and Gratitude of his Country — "Thou art 
the Man." Let who may gainsay it. 

Remember! — you have promised me a 
Visit. I shall never forget — that I owe you 
every thing. Let this be my acknowledge- 
ment. 

Your devoted El eve, 

Christopher Hughes. 



CHRISTOPHER HUGHES 

TO 

JOSEPH R, INGERSOLL, 

philadelphia. 
My Dear Ingersoll, , 

You have been to me — a " guide, philoso- 
pher and friend" from our Princeton College 
days ; your very name has been a blessing to 
me ! you will see, in the simple and touching 
Letter of my Daughter — narrating the circum- 
stances of the awful accident to the American 
Packet Ship, " The Poland," Captain Antho- 
ny, on her voyage from New York to Havre, 
in May, 1840, when the ship was struck by 
Lightning — that — under Providence — I owe 
the preservation of my Daughter, to an " ex- 
cellent, good-hearted man — named Ingersoll 
— Captain of the Ship Clifton." 

1* 



I now write under every disadvantage ! my 
house is thronged with welcoming and wel- 
come visits, on the return of my Daughter 
to our home ! I am also in the midst of work- 
men, " setting my house in order" — after a 
very long absence ! If I write confusedly, 
you will be indulgent; it is not my Letter 
that gives interest to this communication; 
it is the Letter of my Daughter that will 
receive your attention and admiration \ This 
Letter (printed, but never published) has 
been read by hundreds of persons — much to 
the disapprobation of my good and gentle 
child — who meant it only for her Father's 
Eye ! I have often been urged to publish it ; 
I will mention only one honoured Name — 
who enjoined this on me — with tears stream- 
ing down his intelligent and benevolent face 
— on the perusal of this Letter ! Washington 
Irving said to me — here at Baltimore — in 
1842— ''this beautiful Letter ought to be 



given to the world ; I have never read any- 
thing more affecting and more interesting." 
I now — without consulting my Daughter — 
have determined to publish it, and to devote 
its circulation in aid of your noble project of 
rebuilding your Academy of the Fine Arts! 
I have had some hundreds of copies printed ! 
I send them to you, my Friend ; they may 
sell at your approaching Fair for some small 
sum, which I beseech you to apply to the 
above named object. 

I have added to the Letter copies of my 
own correspondence, which has been pub- 
lished in the Newspapers, touching the last 
act of my European Life, at the close of a 
long Diplomatic career of Thirty-two Years 
consecutive employment. My doing this 
may be criticized; but I can stand that! 
Many of my Friends — in your beautiful city 
— a city that I love next after my own na- 
tive and glorious Town of Baltimore— many 



8 

of my Philadelphia Friends and their chil- 
dren — may even like to preserve this little 
record of my simple, but honest life ! They 
will see that — as at the beginning, so at the 
end — of my long public life, I have been true 
to the wise and blessed Institutions of my 
Country! and my Friends — in your noble 
and really admirable Town — know that I 
have ever been true to them! Never was 
man more kindly, hospitably and affection- 
ately treated, than T have been — from my 
youthful to my now advanced years — by my 
Friends in Philadelphia; — with You — my 
beloved Friend — at the head of the honoured, 
and I am proud to say, the numerous list ! 

I beg leave, in addition, to ask your accep- 
tance, and for the same praiseworthy object, 
of two small walking canes, made of the oak 
of our Glorious Frigate Constitution. The 
piece of wood was given to me in 1834, by 
my late Gallant Friend, Commodore Hull ; I 



took it to England and had the canes manu- 
factured, with a Portrait, in silver, of "Old 
Ironsides" on the head with the name of her 
immortal Commander, the Pride and Glory 
of our Proud and Glorious Navy. These 
canes in certain graceful and skilful hands, 
may do execution at your Fair; id est^ they 
may bring money! and that is our object; 
but this is a secret. 

I am interrupted every moment! I am 
now interrupted by the Printer, who calls for 
this Letter. I have not time to make it short ! 

I commend my small offerings to your 
kind acceptance, this hasty Letter to your 
merciful indulgence, and myself^ to your 
continued affection, thou oldest, dearest, most 
honoured of my friends. 
Vale et me ama, 

Christopher Hughes. 

Baltimore, St. Paul Street, 
\st October, 1845. 



10 

p. S. A great name, in the Jlrts — gives va- 
lue to the Portrait of a very humble subject. 
In 1816 my Portrait was painted by cur 
Stuart, at Boston; and my Portrait was 
again painted at London in 1832, by my 
Friend — Sir Martin Archer Shea, President 
of the Royal Academy, and Successor to Sir 
Thomas Lawrence. If you think, that 
either of these works, of those two Great 
names — ^might be acceptable to your Aca- 
demy — on account of the Artist, — I will send 
them both to you at Philadelphia, and you 
may take your choice. Yours, C. H. 

N. B. I have two Snuff Boxes and the han- 
dle of a Seal — ^made out of the same piece of 
wood — given to me by my glorious old 
Friend and Companion, Commodore Hull. 
I doubt if I would surrender these even to 
the Batteries of "Old Ironsides" herself, if 
she were to ''open upon me;" this is not 
confidential. C. H. 



p. S. Some 16 or 17 years since, when I 
lived at Brussels — I happened to have a little 
interest with the then Lords of the English 
Admiralty ; and through the kindness of one 
of them — ^my Friend, the present Lord Cas- 
tlereagh, — I was the means of rendering a 
service to a Gallant Friend of mine — a Cap- 
tain in the British Navy, who was engaged 
in a Survey of the Coast of Greece ! in fact — 
I obtained for him (he had a large Family) 
some additional duties on the same service — ■ 
which entitled him to an increased per diem 
pay of a Guinea or two ! No small matter 
for the Captain ! Many years after, and when 
I had forgotten the affair — I received a letter 
from him full of grateful sentiments. He had 
called a child after me 5 and he sent me a 
small Box of ancient Silver and Copper Coins. 
Will you, my friend, accept the Coins for 
your Academy ? It is not impossible that the 
child — my Homonyme— may be had also— if 



12 

the desires of your Colleagues run in that 
Line I at all events, I offer them my services 
in the search ; for, you know, I am now what 
is called — cUscBuvre; anglice, — unemployed. 

C. H. 



FROM 

mum MtAMAMf S. MWiMIggj 

ONE or THE PASSENGERS IN THE SHIP POLAND, 

(From New York to Havre,) 

AT STOCKHOLM. 



AsTOR House, New York, 

26th May, 1840 



} 



Through the goodness of God, my dear 
Papa, my life has been saved from a sudden 
and awful death, in the most trying and des- 
perate circumstances, when the faintest hope 
had fled. Fearing that the news of our dis- 
aster might reach you before you heard from 
me of my safety, I decided to write directly, 
by the British Queen, and also take the liberty 
of directing to the care of Mr. Beasley, sup- 
2 



14 

posing he would know if you were in Havre 
or not. So many false reports are always 
spread of every thing, I dread your hearhig 
of the loss of the Poland, without, at the same 
time hearing, that all her passengers were 
saved. 

I must begin at the beginning of my sad 
tale ; we sailed on the 1 1th of May, the wind 
was fair, the day fine, and all looked so bright 
before us ; by the next day we were fairly 
under way ; the following Saturday, the 16th, 
we had made a third of our way, when, at 
about three o'clock, P. M., we were struck 
by lightning ; there was but one clap of thun- 
der, one flash of lightning, that seemed in- 
tended for us ; they searched for fire, as the 
cabin filled with smoke directly, but not till 
night, on opening the hold, did the smoke 
burst forth so violently, as to make it no 
longer doubtful that the ship was on fire. 
The Captain thought the fire would burst 



15 

forth, and decided that the long boat should 
be lowered and the women and children put 
on board; it was then nine at night; Mr. 
Wainwright, a passenger, called to me to put 
on the warmest things I had ; but the morn- 
ing had been so bad we were not even dressed, 
but all had on wrappers and shawls. The 
children were taken out of bed and rolled up 
in cloaks and blankets, and we were hurried 
on deck ; the night was dark, the deck slip- 
pery, all looked like death ; with some diffi- 
culty we were put into the boat ; Mr. Wain- 
wright, two children, Mr. Arfwedson, two 
children, myself, the nurses, and as many of 
the gentlemen as could ; between twenty and 
thirty ; we were so crowded, I could neither 
move hand or foot. They tried the danger- 
ous experiment of throwing the boat astern 
and attaching her to the stern of the ship. 
There we remained, pitching about the ocean 
till morning. 



16 

Mr. Wainwright then went in a small boat 
to the ship; the Captain was trying to smo- 
ther the smoke, and by not admitting any air, 
thought to put out the fire ; they kept up our 
spirits by sending us word from the ship that 
matters were not worse. We remained in 
this state all day, Sunday 17th, and the fol- 
lowing night; the sea and wind had been very 
high all the time ; towards Monday morning, 
18th, they both increased. Mr. Wainwright 
went on board, the Captain gave him his 
choice, to remain in the long-boat and be cut 
adrift (though he did not think the boat could 
live in so high a sea) or to return to the ship. 
Mr. W. said he would return. It was with 
great difficulty we were towed round the stern 
of the ship without running against her : on 
reaching the side there was no way of getting 
us up ; as the wave would raise the boat the 
sailors would catch our hands and draw us 
up. On getting on the deck, dear Pa, the 



17 

good Captain met us with tears in his eyes ; 
till then, 1 had hope ; but as soon as I put my 
foot on the ship, I gave myself up for lost; 
the heat was so great, the smell of smoke so 
overpowering, all looked like death; I sat 
down on the deck to wait quietly for death, 
to choose fire or water. It seemed to me I 
could have done so with resignation, if it was 
the will of God to take me. I did not think 
of myself; but only of you, my dear Papa, 
and I thought my heart would break. This 
was at seven in the morning, Monday 18th. 
We set sail in hope of meeting a ship ; this 
was now our only hope — seeing a ship before 
night ; it was so faint a one, I did not even 
allow it to enter my thoughts. We sailed till 
about three, P. M., when the cry from the 
mast of " ship ahoy," reached our ears. To 
describe my feelings at being rescued when 
on the very brink of death, with eternity be- 
fore me, would be impossible, and therefore 
2* 



18 

I will not attempt it. I can never feel grate- 
ful enough to my God for having spared me 
to you, dearest Papa. We made for the ship 
with our signals of distress up ; it proved to 
be bound for New York — the Clifton, mer- 
chant vessel, with 240 steerage passengers in 
the cabin. The Captain (an excellent, good- 
hearted man, named Ingersoll) told us to come 
on board his ship directly, and to bring all 
the provisions we could ; this was one of our 
greatest dangers ; the waves were mountain 
high ; the little boats seemed almost to stand 
on end as we crossed, having sometimes to 
row half a mile. We all, however, 63 souls, 
reached the ship without so much as a scratch. 
The Captain did all he could to make us 
comfortable; but the ship not being suited 
for cabin passengers, we were very uncom- 
fortable; and, though nine days on board, 
were not at all rested. Our provisions held 
out, and we reached land yesterday. I attri- 



19 

biite our safety, under the goodness of God, 
to our Captain Anthony, his conduct was so 
self-possessed, so noble, and, in the most try- 
ing circumstances, so perfectly proper, too 
much praise cannot be given him. At one 
time Mr. Wainwright went from the ship to 
the long-boat, the Captain had bidden him 
farewell, saying, "-if any were saved, he, Mr. 
W., stood the best chance; as to himself, 
there were too many to fill the boat, if the 
flames should burst forth, and that he would 
stay by the ship." He sent his love to the 
ladies, saying, " his last prayers and thoughts 
were for us." As for me, dear Papa, I did 
not lose my self-possession for a moment, 
and there was no time for fright. We were 
hurried on from one danger to another. 
Every moment brought with it a new dan- 
ger; we were 36 hours in the long-boat, 
during which time every five minutes, we 
would be wet through by a wave ; we were 



20 

near being swamped the first night; a plug 
came out, and a hole had been broken in the 
side of the boat, so it was fast filling with 
water when it was discovered. The mate 
put his hands in the hole; kept them there 
two hours, till the water could be bailed out. 
Of course, we lost everything, but the 
clothes on our backs. I did not even save 
my watch; but it seems almost wicked to 
regret anything, when we think of our won- 
derful escape. Could there be a more des- 
perate situation than to be in the middle of 
the Atlantic, two days and nights, with a 
burning ship beneath you.? Had we sailed 
from New York half an hour sooner, or 
later, we should have missed Captain Tnger- 
soll ; and had we not seen his ship, in a few 
hours it might have been too late; for, in 
the state the last man left the Poland, it was 
supposed, that before midnight she was de- 
stroyed. I regret my shawls and jewels on 



21 

your account, more than my own, as I know 
you valued them from association*,* as to 
myself, I feel so thankful that my life is 
spared, and as if I could forswear finery and 
jewels for ever. I must get as few and 
cheap clothes as I can do with, and be very 
economical, to make up for all I have lost. 
I am worn out; I must go to-bed; I shall 
write to you by the Havre packet of the 1st 
of June, and tell you of all the kindness I 
have received — it merits a letter. 

1 expect some of them on from Baltimore 
for me to-morrow. I trust you may be able 
to read this; when you have, you will not 
wonder I should be worn out, in mind and 
body, after all I have gone through. I have 
only got a slight cold. Mr. Arfwedson is in 
his bed to-day; his wife and children quite 
well; they are very kind. I fear the non- 

*Four hereditary Cashmere Shawls and Family 
Jewels. 



arrival of the Poland may cause you uneasi- 
ness; but I pray not; as soon as you hear 
the news, you will know we are all saved. 
God bless you, my dear Papa; my disap- 
pointment is very great at not seeing you; 
this only makes me wish the more to be 
with you ; but all is for the best. 

Your affectionate daughter, 

Margaret Smith Hughes. 



Extract of a Letter from Sir Francis Bur- 
DETT TO Christopher Hughes, at London. 
Ember Court, 2Mh September, 1841. 
(Near London.) 
"My dear Mr. Hughes. 

"I am glad to receive your kind letter, 
and wish heartily the generality of your 
countrymen participated your feelings with 
regard to old England, where we think com- 
monly so favourably of — ^and wish so well 



23 

to them. But this business of M'Leod is a 
sad affair, and I don't see how a rupture can 
be avoided," &c. &c. &c. 

"I shall live on hope until Tuesday is 
over, and kill the fatted calf for that day; if 
a non-appearance is then entered, I shall, on 
Wednesday, come to town and take my 
chance to see you. Your bed will be pre- 
pared and all ready, and every one here 
happy to see you. 

"I rejoice in the escape of your daughter; 
and what a daughter ! ! Were I a young man 
at liberty, I would go across the Atlantic 
only to see her. God bless her — as she is a 
blessing to you. Lady Burdett knows how 
to value the precious letter you sent her ; we 
all feel alike upon it ; the graceful simplicity 
of the style and noble sentiments expressed 
pourtray a mind so lovely and enchanting 
that one is lost in admiration and delight in 
the contemplation of it. It shows virtue her 



24 

own image in her most captivating form, and 
sheds a lustre around the whole sex. God 
bless her, — and send you safe home. 

"To touch now upon any other subject 
would be flat, stale, and unprofitable. Adieu ! 
The letter shall be framed and kept in my 
family archives, as a token, moreover, of the 
cordial friendship of an American and an 
Englishman. 

"Yours truly — ^yea, most truly, 

(Signed) "F. Burdett." 

" N. B. I was much pleased to receive a 
remembrance from De Mornay."* 



* Count Charles De Mornay, French Minister at 
Stockholm. 



LETTERS OF 

GEN. DE LA SARRAZ AND C. HUGHES. 

From the Baltimore American of Saturday Morning, 
September 20, 1845. 

Our respected townsman, the Hon. Chris- 
topher Hughes, whose arrival by the last 
steamer from Liverpool was duly noticed, has 
returned to take up his abode in our commu- 
nity, after a long" series of years spent abroad 
in the diplomatic service, with honor and ad- 
vantage to his country and credit to himself. 
The high esteem in which he was held by the 
Government of the Netherlands is shown by 
the annexed correspondence, copied from the 
National Intelligencer of yesterday: — Amer. 

"Our readers will have observed among 
the names of passengers arrived in this coun- 
try, by the late packets from Europe, that of 
3 



26 

our respected fellow-citizen Christopher 
Hughes, late Charge d' Affaires of the United 
States to the Netherlands. A friend has 
obliged us with a copy of the following cor- 
respondence, which shows the esteem which 
he enjoyed on the part of the Government, 
to which, he was accredited.'^ — JS^at. Int. 

Translation of a note from Ids Excellency 
Lieutenant General De La Sarraz, Min- 
ister of Foreign Affairs of his Majesty the 
King of the JYetherlands, to Christopher 
Hughes, late Charge d?Jlffaires of the 
United States at that Court. Received at 
Paris and answered from Liverpool. 

The Hague, July 24, 1845. 
Sir : It is very agreeable to me to have to 
announce to you that it has pleased the King, 
my august master, to confer upon you the 
Cross of a Commander of the Order of the 
Oaken Crown, of which, I have the honour 



27 

to transmit to you the insignia, as well as 
the diploma of nomination. 

J pray you to accept my sincere felicita- 
tions on this Royal favour; and I seize with 
eagerness this opportunity, to reiterate to you 
the expression of my regret, that your recall 
should deprive me, henceforth, of the plea- 
sure of cultivating with you relations, of 
which, I shall always preserve a precious 
recollection. 

Will you permit me to commend myself to 
your kind recollection, (souvenir,) and to of- 
fer to you the renewed assurance of the senti- 
ments of my distinguished consideration ? 
De La Sarraz. 

To Mr. Christopher Hughes, 

Commander of the Order of the Oaken Crown, late 
Charge d' Jiff aires of the United States of Amenca 
at the Court of the Netherlands, 



Mr. HUGHES'S REPLY. 

Liverpool, August 23, 1845. 

My Dear General: I arrived here at five 
o'clock this morning from London, and at 
midday we are to be on board the steamer 
Great Western, for New York. Of course, 
this must be a hasty and informal letter. I 
pray you to show it to the King, with the 
assurance of my profound, and, let me ven- 
ture to say, my affectionate respect. 

I can never forget my happy life in Hol- 
land, nor the kind and gracious manner of 
the King on my taking leave of his Majesty. 
I shall ever pray for the prosperity of his il- 
lustrious house and for that of his honoured 
people. They are a model people for love 
of country, for loyalty to their good and 



29 

gallant Sovereign, and for unsurpassed good 
faith; and such will they ever he. 

I left Paris for England on the fifth of Au- 
gust ; on the fourth, my esteemed old friend, 
General Baron Fa gel, your distinguished and 
popular Minister at the Court of the Tuile- 
ries, left at my lodgings your Excellency's 
letter, dated " The Hague, 24th July, 1845," 
announcing to me, that it had pleased the 
King, your august master, to confer upon me 
the cross of a Commander of His Majesty's 
Order of the Oaken Crown, and enclosing to 
me the insignia and the diploma of my nom- 
ination. 

To be followed, after I had left Holland, 
and to a foreign land, by such a proof of the 
kind consideration of your Sovereign, is an 
honour which I know how to value, and I 
gratefully thank the King for the compliment : 
but I must decline accepting the nomination 
to be a Commander of the Order of the 
Oaken Crown. 
3* 



30 

The institutions of my country forbid its 
citizens from accepting or wearing any and 
all Orders of Knighthood or titles of nobil- 
ity. I shall ever be obedient to the institu- 
tions of my country, from duty and from 
preference, whether I be in public, or (as I 
now am) in private life. I am not the less 
sensible to, and grateful for, the honour de- 
signed for me by the King: and I am sure 
that His Majesty will approve of my motives, 
in declining to accept this mark of his royal 
and gracious good will and kindness for your 
Excellency's most obedient servant and at- 
tached friend. 

Christopher Hughes, 
Late Charge d^Jff aires of the United 
States of America at the Hague. 

To His Excellency 
Lieutenant General De La Sarraz, 
Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hague. 



APOSTIL. 

Fridatj, 3d October, 1845. 
1 write "under the whip;" and besides, I 
have to correct the press; but, as I have 
begun, 1 will finish. My hand has fallen 
upon a few Medals — Bronze and Silver — of 
eminent men — some of whom, I had the 
honour to know ; I beg respectfully to offer 
these to your Academy, in addition to the 
few Greek and Roman Coins. You will see 
among the Medals — an admirable likeness of 
the celebrated Sir Francis Chantrey ; for ma- 
ny years I lived with Hira — and I loved him 
— as a Brother. He gave me the Canova and 
the Walter Scott — who were his intimate 



32 

Friends! The Silver Medal of Gustavus III. 
is very like ! So are those of the late King 
of the Netherlands — William the First — 
Count of Nassau — and of the great Fainter, 
David. 

Some day — when I shall be (where I am 
always most happy to be) under your hos- 
pitable Roof — ^my dear Ingersoll, — T will de- 
scribe the other Medals — there are about a 
Dozen : I have not time. I shall be gratified, 
if your Academy will accept these trifles. 

I have appended to the Narrative of my 
Daughter, an Extract from a Letter of my 
late lamented Friend — Sir Francis Burdett; I 
made him the visit ; — and alas ! it was the 
last time I saw that excellent and admirable 
man ! For Twenty Years — I had (to use the 
old phrase) " a plate at his Table," and lived 
with him, in intimacy and confidence. 

So many of my Friends — at home and 
abroad — wished to have copies of my Daugh- 



ler's Letter — that it went througli several 
Editions, — though, it was wev ex published. I 
send you all that remain of the last that was 
struck off! Place these also in the Booth, of 
your amiable Niece — ^Miss Wilcocks — ^Mar- 
garet's Friend, — perhaps, they may find pur- 
chasers, and bring something, to help the 
cause. 

I could add many other " Extracts" from 
the Letters of my Friends on this subject, in 
terms of equal satisfaction, — it would make 
my work too large ! There is one, however, 
whom I will name ! Samuel Rogers ! This 
Gifted and Good man doats upon my child. 
May Heaven bless him — and prolong his 
honoured life ! ! 

I have even received letters from persons 
whom I have never seen, — who, on being 
permitted to read Margaret's Letter, have 
written to me for copies. If I were to men- 
tion the names of some who have expressed 



34 

their admiration of it> — and their congratula- 
tions — on the merciful preservation of my 
Daughter— from the burning Ship, The Po- 
land—it might look pompous ! I fear T have 
already run some risk — on this score ! The 
time is up. 

I am your friend, 

C. Hughes. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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